Dragged In – Hardcore

From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Genre: Hardcore

It was only a matter of time before a cool new Hardcore band crossed our radar (that’s the Hardcore genre emanating from 70’s Punk Rock subculture, not the Hardcore Techno field of Dance… although we’ll probably cover some Jungle at some point). Thanks to Lauren over at Mills On Wheels, it came to our attention that a new 5-piece has emerged from the ashes of Dead Mouth and the brutally magnificent Brutal Youth in the always artistically superior – at least as far as Punk Rock subgenres are concerned -land of Canada. The name Patty O’Lantern won’t be lost on any Punk Rock enthusiasts local to the region, but for everyone else he is the lead singer of Brutal Youth and has brought with him those unique grinding vocals, this time choosing to leave behind some of the harmonic pop attributes that would have had the band compared to the likes of Hagfish and 28 Days. What we are left with – alongside drummer Bruce, guitarists Marty and Dave, and bassist Cox – is a raw yet strong and refined reminder of what Hardcore is all about; energetic and positive vibes reflecting on the trials and tribulations in the struggle that is human life.

Despite the band being relatively new on the scene (debut release EP1 dropped in January), the existing wealth of experience has given the guys somewhat of a head start on the road to success, having already shared stages with the likes of Sick Of It All, Madball and Wisdom In Chains, as well as featuring on both Pouzza Fest and 44 fest bills. Their unadulterated and straight-to-point attitude is made poignantly over the course of this first record, which in its 5-track digital format gives us a taster as to what Dragged In are all about. It’s a bit of a melodic sandwich with first and final tracks, “August” and “Empty Glasses” respectively, stiff on the aggression and hard breakdowns but at the same time stocked with melody in just the right spots, oozing emotion during “August” and hitting home with lyrics “I only find pain in the bottom of Empty Glasses”; a tune which would’ve perfectly fit the mould of a circa 2000 Punk-O-Rama compilation and if nothing else is a testament to the slick finishing touches on its production.

The sharpness doesn’t end there, with tweening tracks “Safe Together”, “Breathe” and “Dragged In” shredding riffs and taking no prisoners all in well under 2-minutes a piece. Keeping in-line with the group’s morals, yelling “Breath in, breathe out, keeping faith when it falls apart” and maintaining crispness in the vocal arrangement as to not lose it in the mix, Dragged In keep it pure and with lyrics like “Dragged In, kicking and screaming, held down and forced to comply” there’s no hiding the passion in their message. When you take a step back to assess what’s going on here, it’s really the Dead Mouth sound with a much more melodic and comprehendable lead vocalist.

Good stuff this is. Check out the EP in its entirety over on the band’s Bandcamp page and purchase a digital download there too.

Their second offering EP2 has been laid down and is due for release anytime now, so keep your eyes peeled and follow their Facebook page for all the latest updates!